First time pet owner; living with a new kitty and 4 yr old human child

[whwmia]

Hi,

I've always adored pets but was never allowed one; during my childhood we were always led to believe animal are dirty and looking to kill us. My fear of cats and dogs was insane for many years.

For the past 2-3 yrs I became fond of cats, and thought I'd push past the mental block and got myself a beautiful kitten (supposedly a male, now vet is saying likely a girl TBC at next vaccination appt - but that's a whole different story lol).

I've been reading up on advice everywhere, stood in pet stores watching what people buy, asking advice etc but I still feel so lost.

Our little kitten Buzz (12 weeks) is still currently in the safe room (day 7 now), I do leave the door open for an hour in the morning and evening so he/she can explore and he/she only ventures out into the hallway and back again. He/she doesn't like being held, I got scratched for attempting to hold him/her for too many times in a row a few days ago as well (drew a little bit of blood).

My 4 yr old senses my anxiety around the kitten sometimes and I feel so bad because she gets anxious too. I just want to give Buzz the best life possible and really do worry if I'm a good cat-mom at all

 

[Tik cat's mum]

The reason you are worried is because you are a good cat mum and human mum. Kitten's can be difficult to hold and their claws are like needles. So my advice would be trim the kitten's claws get him used to it while he/she is young. There is less chance of blood being drawn with short claws. There are plenty of YouTube videos on how to do it. And if your worried about doing it yourself you could ask the vet to show you or vet technician. You could also teach your 4 year old how to play with wand toy's with the kitten. My kid's enjoyed and now grandkids love that. Also try cuddles when the kitten's belly is full after a big meal that way if your lucky the kitten will fall asleep and you can supervise your little one having a cuddle to build confidence.

 

[whwmia]

The reason you are worried is because you are a good cat mum and human mum. Kitten's can be difficult to hold and their claws are like needles. So my advice would be trim the kitten's claws get him used to it while he/she is young. There is less chance of blood being drawn with short claws. There are plenty of YouTube videos on how to do it. And if your worried about doing it yourself you could ask the vet to show you or vet technician. You could also teach your 4 year old how to play with wand toy's with the kitten. My kid's enjoyed and now grandkids love that. Also try cuddles when the kitten's belly is full after a big meal that way if your lucky the kitten will fall asleep and you can supervise your little one having a cuddle to build confidence.

Thank you so much for your response, I really needed to hear that I wasn't getting it all wrong completely. I think I will get in contact with the vets and see if they can help me with the trimming of the claws just so I'm not cutting off too much and hurting him/her

My 4yr old daughter loves playing with the kitten using a wand toy, but she does this whilst sat on a chair with her legs crossed I can tell it's out of fear. I think it will just take us all some time getting used to each other, the kittens cat tree has arrived today so he/she can chill with us in our living area soon

 

[rubysmama]

Hello and welcome to TCS. And congrats on being a new cat parent.
I'm sure once Buzz gets more comfortable around his/her new home and humans, (s)he'll be a love bug.

Since you're new to cats, here's some TCS articles you might find helpful. Also, if you have any specific questions, you can start a new thread in one of the more specific forums.

First-time Cat Owner’s Guide – TheCatSite Articles
9 Tips That Will Help Your Kitten Adapt To A New Apartment or House – TheCatSite Articles
Kitten Proofing Your Home: 13 Practical Tips – TheCatSite Articles

How To Best Take Care Of Cat Claws – TheCatSite Articles

How To Mix Cats And Kids The Right Way – TheCatSite Articles

BTW, we love cat pictures, so feel free to post some of Buzz.
How To Add A Picture To Your Forum Post – TheCatSite Articles

 

[tabbytom]

to you whwmia and Buzz, on behalf of The Catsite community, a warm

to both of you.

So glad that you’ve joined this wonderful site and you are in the right place for all things cat and this site is loaded with tons of rich resources and you’ll find friendly and helpful cats around and many of our cats are very knowledgeable in cat related stuffs.

Do post photos of Buzz for us to see!

New Here? I Have A Few Suggestions For You!
How To Add A Picture To Your Forum Post
Community Guidelines & Practices - Frequently Asked Questions
Forum Rules

Feel free to ask questions if you have any and start a new thread of your own and post them under the appropriate forums and do check out the many informative articles we have here in Articles | The Cat Site

Enjoy your stay and see ya around

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Welcome to you, your daughter, and to little Buzz! If you have questions, be sure to post them in the forums, where you'll get lots of answers! Also, take time to look at some of our articles, which are clear, concise and easy reads!

 

[whwmia]

Thank you

 

[whwmia]

View attachment 395736 to you whwmia and Buzz, on behalf of The Catsite community, a warm View attachment 395737 to both of you.

So glad that you’ve joined this wonderful site and you are in the right place for all things cat and this site is loaded with tons of rich resources and you’ll find friendly and helpful cats around and many of our cats are very knowledgeable in cat related stuffs.

Do post photos of Buzz for us to see!

New Here? I Have A Few Suggestions For You!
How To Add A Picture To Your Forum Post
Community Guidelines & Practices - Frequently Asked Questions
Forum Rules

Feel free to ask questions if you have any and start a new thread of your own and post them under the appropriate forums and do check out the many informative articles we have here in Articles | The Cat Site

Enjoy your stay and see ya around

Thank you - feels like I have so much to learn so I’m grateful for this site

here’s a pic of the sleepy kitty

 

[tabbytom]

Thank you - feels like I have so much to learn so I’m grateful for this site

here’s a pic of the sleepy kitty

Yes, please feel free to ask questions. There's no such thing as a stupid question here. We have many experience cats here to help.

Buzz is so cute . Reminds me of my boy when he was younger. Here's a thread for him :- show-me-your-stripes-and-spots-tabby-cats-only.347378 and also post-your-sleeping-beauties.42491

 

[Krienze]

Hi! Welcome to the forums by the way!

I think the fact that you're worried is what makes you a good mom. You'll give him a good life and I know you'll pick up on this being a cat mom thing much more when you start to gain more confidence.

He might just not like to be held. Two of mine can't STAND to be held, but they still love being showered with affection and love!

Buzz is precious! I can tell he's gonna have a good life with you